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Friday, March 22, 2013

The Fight

* (1 cerebral hemorrhage out of 5)

Voyager is trapped in Chaotic Space, whatever the hell that means. Is it Subspace? Fluidic Space? Parking Space? No idea. Mainly, I guess it means that Chakotay (the man of peace) and Boothby (the wise gardener) suddenly have a back story together as Rocky Balboa and that squinty goblin that trained Rocky Balboa.

Chakotay has a holodeck boxing program so he can beat up Prince Goro from 'Mortal Kombat'. The EMH is disdainful of 'the sweet science'... what with all the mindless barbarism. (Even though he's gained gonads, I'd guess the Doctor never added testosterone, and therefore strife.) I'm with the Doctor on this one. Boxing seems even more stupid and self-destructive than most sports.

And so, our hero loves, and has retroactively ALWAYS loved, to punch dudes in his spare time.

Thanks to a Tyson Blow To The Dome (and/or Reconfigured Neurons or some wacky crap) Chakotay begins to hallucinate. It seems he has the gene for a cognitive disorder called sensory tremens (suppressed by modern medicine before his birth). The gene made his grandfather a kook whenever he refused to take his anti-kook hypospray. The first officer has always been afraid he might someday lose his mind... which is another reason he probably shouldn't bash it in for fun.

Chakotay communicates with Kid Chaos (whatever that means). By punching him (whatever good that does). Then everyone pretends this never happened. If only this was still the Silver Blood ship!

"The Fight" warps Chakotay from a pacifist and contemplative thinker who only fights when he must, to a dumb jock who likes hurting others. Was that a good idea? I come down hard on the side of 'No.' No, it was not. And if you'll recall, I LIKE Chakotay. So, if you don't like my review, you'll find me ready and willing to avoid engaging you in pugilism over it at any time.